Rolling over in bed, I was relieved to find an empty space in the crumpled sheets where Mr. Goatee had been snoring a few hours ago. I rubbed my head, trying to remember if I’d even bothered to find out his name. Memories from the whole of last night were vague.

He couldn’t have been particularly earth-shattering, given that my most vivid memory was when he’d pulled out of me too far and rammed himself back in with, to his credit, a great deal of force – but had misjudged his aim and went halfway into my ass. After an initial squeal of shock, I tried to reassure him that it was fine, he could stay there if he wanted, but maybe we’d need some lube.

The poor boy was mortified. It had gone downhill pretty fast from there. Thank goodness he’d had the decency to creep out whilst I slept, avoiding all that unnecessary and awkward ‘morning after’ talk.

I made my way to the shower, clutching at my throbbing head. Leaning my face back into the spray I closed my eyes with an image of Zac forming behind them. I hadn’t seen much more of him, he’d disappeared soon after the glaring incident. His expression had been so intense that it kind of frightened me, and that took some doing. It also made me eager to see him again.

A familiar thrill had me putting my hand between my legs. I stroked and rubbed, thinking of that gorgeous, brooding face and imagining the kind of body made for sweet dreams. I grabbed the shower head and massaged my breasts, delving my fingers up inside myself. Fantasies danced around me, ideas of that foreboding stare bearing down on me as he pinned me to the ground, hands held up over my head, taking me roughly—

My cell phone rang in the other room. I tried to ignore it, but it was so persistent, and the shrill ringtone went right through my head like a dagger. “Yes, Anna, what’s the emergency?”

“Nice to speak to you, too.”

“Sorry. I was a little busy in the shower, if you know what I mean?”

“Eeeew, too much info!” she groaned, and I imagined her cheeks going red.

“Anyway, what’s up?”

“It’s two o’clock already. We have to hit the town and get drinking. It’s the only way to cure our hangovers. We’re still celebrating your arrival, right?”

“Hell, yes.” I pulled on yesterday’s underwear with one hand. All my gear was still at her place. I should have just agreed to stay there. If only I didn’t have so many anxious emotions around sharing living space with loved ones. The burn scar on my back itched at the thought.

“I’ll meet you at the parking lot,” I added. “I need to check my baby is unharmed. If any drunk twat has touched him, I will hunt them down.”

* * *

Zac was everywhere. The bars, the beaches, the fair, the grill where I ate most days – though he never ate, just watched me in a psycho-stalker way. He paid extra close attention each time he found me kissing another man, but annoyingly, not enough to make him come and claim me for himself. He was even loitering across the road of the garage in Port Isabel when I took my bike for a service.

He had to be following me. It couldn’t just be coincidence all the time. But if I tried to go and talk to him, he’d disappear. Anna said I should call the cops before he kidnapped me or something, but I figured he’d already have done that if he wanted to. Plus, the little dirty and irrational voice in my head (the one that always gets me into trouble and should never be listened to) decided that being whipped away by this ridiculously attractive man didn’t seem so bad.

My first week on the island had disappeared in a blink. A blur of alcohol, laughter and sex, just as planned. Only one more week to go and then I’d have to start working and behaving. I really ought to start looking for an apartment.

“Enjoying the vacation, Jess?” Danny appeared at my side in MoJoe’s, taking a barstool next to me. I’d been so lost in my Zac daydreams that I hadn’t noticed Anna vacate the seat. She returned from the restroom and gave Danny a hug over his shoulders. A bartender provided him with a beer and, all of a sudden, the staff looked a lot more attentive.

Someone elbowed me in the back as they pushed past. “I sure am, although, I think I’m getting old. I don’t know how much more of these crowds I can handle.” I left my seat and pushed into a bikini-clad girl, attempting to create a little bubble of space where I could actually breathe. The heat and smell from so many alcohol-fuelled people in the small bar was overpowering.

“Take it from me, there isn’t anything old-looking about you. In fact, you haven’t changed a bit from when I last saw you, what… four years ago?” he flashed me an amorous smile.

“Thanks, nor have you.” I hoped the heat burning in my cheeks wasn’t visible like it always was on Anna. He was certainly a fine specimen of older man, as he stood there rubbing the grey-flecked stubble on his jaw. He had a body that most twenty year olds would kill for, let alone forty-somethings. It was hard not to blush when he gifted you that smile.

He motioned to a barman and spoke in his ear. A moment later I was presented with a cocktail glass full of something bright pink, complete with slices of fruit and the little umbrella thing.

“Happy Birthday, by the way,” he grinned, leaning across to kiss my cheek.

“Anna!” I scolded. “You promised you wouldn’t tell! You know I don’t celebrate.”

She shrugged and blew out a whistle, picking at some invisible fluff on her skirt.

“Thank you,” I said to Danny, who was still beaming and clearly enjoying my discomfort.

“I’m really excited to start work soon,” I added, shifting in my seat. “Thanks for giving me this chance.”

“Don’t thank him,” Anna scoffed. “He made me work for it. I totally had to suck up to him to get you a position.”

He coughed and a knowing, suggestive smirk passed between them.

“You didn’t?!” I gasped.

“Of course not! I’m just kidding,” she laughed. “You got the job square on your own, because you’re awesome and deserved it.”

“Absolutely. I expect the very best out of my crew,” Danny said. “Which reminds me, I have your patches at the station, come get them before you start if you like.”

“I will, thanks. Carnage Crew, right? Where does the department name come from?”

“Look around,” he sighed. “On certain days during spring break this island can have up to fifty thousand people on it. All wasted, all looking for a good time. It’s carnage. And we have to play a big role in managing that. Like I said to you on email, we don’t get many fires round here, it’s mostly beach patrols and mopping up the mayhem. You’ll be pulled over to Port Isabel Department sometimes, too.”

“Sounds great.” Limited work on actual fires sounded beyond great, it was perfect. I’d lost my nerve somewhere along the line in the last few years. Less responsibility might help to lift the pressure that weighed me down all the time.

“I look forward to seeing you at the station soon, then. Have a wild birthday, you’re at the perfect place,” Danny wandered off to join some friends. I watched him leave, admiring his smooth confidence as he approached them and slotted into the group.

“I’ll be right back,” Anna said, scooting off after him.

A girl in leopard-print hotpants flew towards Danny’s vacated seat, desperate to grab it before anyone else. She got hold of it, but at the same time as another, larger, girl. They floundered into me, arguing and bitching, and Miss Pert-Cheeks-in-Hotpants spilled her vodka all over the bar.

Lord, help me. I needed air.

* * *

The stench of beer, sweat and testosterone assaulted me as I pushed my way through the mass of bodies. A couple of dudes took advantage of the tight squeeze and ‘accidentally’ grabbed my ass. Whatever. My ass was like a juicy peach, so who could blame them.

I made it to the decking area outside on the beach, which was relatively calm compared to inside. A laser show from a nearby rave sent purple and blue beacons of light soaring upwards into the night.

From here I was reminded of the main reason I loved MoJoe’s so much, and it wasn’t the half price drinks. The sight of Zac pulling into the parking lot, with that engine roaring between his legs, shattered any Danny-fucking thoughts in an instant. Often he would just stare at me, although occasionally he’d give me a lazy half-smile that made my heart skip.

Whenever I decided it was getting ridiculous and that I was just going to talk to him, he’d be gone. Was he some weird figment of my imagination? I could have been having that relapse breakdown the shrink warned me about.

Dammit, his smouldering vibe left me breathless with desire – dark hair, shorter on the sides, spiked up on top… faded jeans with a hole in one knee, sculpted around lean legs… a tight fitting white vest skimming his torso, giving a teasing glimpse at the heart-stopping inked muscles underneath. He leant against his black chopper like James Dean. I’m pretty sure if you Googled ‘stereotypical hot rockabilly guy’, he’d come up.

He was never alone. He always had this little following with him, whom I could easily recognise now because I’d been studying him so scrupulously. There was the surfer dude who he seemed closest to; blonde haired with a friendly, boyish face. And a guy with a shaved head, inked up to the high heavens, not an inch of skin uncovered.

Not forgetting the giant of a man; long straight black hair tied in a ponytail, sporting a moustache and wearing the most bizarre fancy dress type clothing. He appeared angry most of the time and always on the edge of the group.

There was a bunch of others too, five or six, that routinely hovered around Zac. All of them too attractive and composed to be hanging around here with the drunk kids and the freaks. They stood out a mile, looking like kings amongst peasants.

Despite my best efforts at parading around, I appeared to be invisible to all of them except Zac. And let’s face it, he only paid marginal attention when he seemed to feel like it. I’d tried to explain to Anna that the others were deliberately ignoring me, going out of their way to look away when I was near, but she told me to get over myself and accept that not every guy wanted me.

Then there were the girls. Oh, the girls. They flocked to him in a constant stream of tits and ass. At first it made me want to loathe him, but Anna was right. Whilst his friends enjoyed the attention they received from the girls, he never appeared too bothered. That didn’t stop them trying though. And for their persistence he did occasionally participate in some groping and kissing, but it was half-hearted at best. I still wanted to beat those girls to a pulp for touching him.

Except one. One of the females wasn’t a devotee. She was a clear insider in the group; one of the guys. I heard one of them call out to her before. Eva, was her name. All porcelain skin, bright red lips and dusky eyes. Long dark hair curled with rollers. Polka dot dresses with corsets and stockings. She was sexy and sassy yet demure, not slutty. I liked her style, but I still kind of hated her, because she was the only woman on the island that could attract his genuine attention. Along with that of every male in her vicinity. Greedy.

They looked like a couple, her and Zac. They were beautiful stood next to each other. Yet he never showed any intimacy with her. Yes, he eyed her with adoration, but he didn’t touch her.

Anyway, she wasn’t there tonight, but Zac and I were busy having another staring match when one admirer followed his gaze to me and made a face as if to say ‘what on earth is he looking at you for?’ She then promptly thrust herself in front of him, huge tits first. Speaking to him with one hand on her hip, the other twirling her hair.

He adjusted his position so that he could continue to watch me, blanking her like she was an irritation. Ha! She shot me the dirtiest look I’ve ever received and I couldn’t help but give her my smuggest smile in return.

He must have noticed the pathetic exchange between us but he showed no sign of it. His face remained expressionless, his body rigid, dark eyes pinning me. Totally focussed, like a lion eyeing up a gazelle. Was I a gazelle?! Fuck that. No I wasn’t.

What was up with this man? No one around here bothered playing hard to get. You couldn’t move without bumping into someone making out. Was I that weird and repellent that he couldn’t bring himself to approach me?

But then, why was he watching me all the time? What if he really was some psycho, serial killer stalker? A feeling ran through me, one that shouted out how alarmed I should be by his abnormal attention, yet I couldn’t help the excitement that fluttered under my skin.

Once again I thought about acting on my excitement and approaching him. And as if reading that thought, he disappeared. As usual. Perhaps I’d got him wrong and he kept vanishing to have sex with those girls after all. It didn’t escape me that Big Tits had gone, too.

* * *

Swallowing back the pang of loss from his disappearance, I distracted myself by finding a man to flirt with. I placed Todd as a little younger than me, probably mid twenties. He said he was here on vacation for a week. It didn’t take a genius to work out why he’d picked this place, at this time of year.

The spring break girls were up for anything, but evidently he fancied more experience in his bed tonight. He’d make a good, mindless sex toy for the night. He wore smart chinos and a shirt, his dark hair slicked over to one side, looking out of place amongst the muscled and half-naked frat boys, but in an entirely different way to Zac and his group.

Apparently he worked as a Sales Executive, giving off the impression of company car and big bonuses, but I suspected it was more bored guy sitting at the end of an office phone, selling useless items to old ladies and waiting for home time. I dodged his questions about me. He had a dog named Dude and liked my hair. He also liked my outfit and every word I spoke, which wasn’t very many. I tried hard to lighten up, but something was missing, an empty space inside that I already knew he couldn’t fill.

A few drinks later and his arm had slid around my shoulder. He smelled nice so I didn’t remove it. Anna appeared briefly and then disappeared with friends again, scooting away and giving me playful looks. As Todd began edging his face closer to mine, I caught the return of Zac from the corner of my eye. He had a different look about him. More strained. He angrily swatted away the girls that approached him.

Well now. Hello, Zac. Are you interested enough to do something now? End the cat and mouse?

I wondered what he’d do if I let Todd’s lips reach mine, so I smirked at him and leant in to my toy. Just as my lips were puckering I was pushed away and heard a loud slap, only to find a short, angry girl next to us. Todd had a big red mark on his face. Oh dear.

“You bastard,” she was screeching. “You were only with me last night, LAST NIGHT, telling me you loved me.”

Loved her? God bless youngsters and their naivety. He was spluttering out some excuses and then her hand swung up in the air towards my face. I grabbed her wrist and held her firmly away.

“He’s all yours,” I sighed, releasing the wriggling bomb who was about to explode on his ass. Good luck, Todd.

I walked over to the dance floor as calmly as I could manage, my cheeks burning, shaking my head. Zac was smiling now. Full and radiant. Something I’d not yet seen on his face before.

Oh yeah, real funny. We’ll see how much you laugh later when I find a proper man to make you jealous with.

He raised his eyebrows before looking away and resuming the Mr. Cool act.

Twatface.

I wasn’t so cool. In fact, I was a wreck. My head spun with need and frustration. Surrounded by men, but the one I was inexplicably drawn to was behaving like a total dick. As I was dancing I kept watch on him. He darted his gaze my way a few times, as if he were merely scanning the room. He was so bloody difficult to work out, it was infuriating. I knew if I went over to see him he’d disappear. I’d been trying all week with the same result.

What kind of asshole was he? To infiltrate my mind so thoroughly that I couldn’t think of anyone else, and yet, he had actually done nothing for me. There’d been no romantic kiss. No playful banter. No touching. What the hell was wrong with me? And more importantly, why couldn’t he just come on over here and claim me? Show me what he wanted?

He glowered at me intently. Mr. Fucking Moody. Was he thinking about murdering me? Or was he thinking about fucking me?

He stood abruptly and walked straight towards me with that beautiful dark, brooding face. Approaching closer and closer, the whole while staring me down. Hours seemed to pass in the time it took him to reach me. I clutched my sweaty hands together, thinking I might faint from nerves.

Grabbing my waist, he turned me round and pulled me flush against his body. Swaying seductively to the music, he squeezed tight around my body with such strength that I struggled to breathe. Stiffness pressed behind me, and I don’t just mean his cock, his whole body was strained with tension.

His lips brushed against my ear as he whispered the words, “Yes, Ma’am. All the time.”

Lifting one of my hands to his lips, he took a fingertip into his mouth. I gasped for air. His grip tightened as his chest heaved into my back with ragged breaths. I struggled to turn around and face him, and then the strength disintegrated entirely. I spun around, but he was already gone. Like, magically gone in a puff of nothing. Nowhere.

How the hell did he do that? What was that?!